(All photos by Dean Torrance)

UPDATE: I’m reposting this article/interview for a few reasons. First off I wanted to let you all know that “Pacific Ocean Blue is now out and in stores! So, go buy yourself a copy. It’s a ledgendary record, the “new” songs are killer and the packaging is nothing short of amazing. I also wanted you all to check out this really cool EPK the label put together… hopefully they’ll end up doing a full length feature documentary after this. It’s a great story that needs to be told… plus I’ll direct it! Let’s do this!

Now that the record is out and in store, I re-posted the two tracks I originally wanted you guys to hear. Check out “River Song” and “Under The Moonlight” down below. Oh, and check out the “numbers” this baby has already done… pretty surprising and impressive I think. Congrats go out to everyone involved in this…. Gregg Jakobson, John Hanlon, Jim Guercio, Taylor Hawkins, everyone at Sony/BMG/Legacy and the man himself…. Dennis Wilson. RIP.

# 4 ROCK RELEASE ON AMAZON.COM DAY OF RELEASE

# 8 DEBUT ON BILLBOARD’S CATALOG CHART

# 2 BEST SELLER AT AMEOBA RECORDS IN LOS ANGELES

# 16 DEBUT ON THE UK ALBUM CHART

I’ve got some good news music fans, check this…

On June 17, 2008 Dennis Wilson’s critically acclaimed solo opus, “Pacific Ocean Blue”, will be re-released, expanded and titled “Legacy Edition”! Yes, that was a collective “FINALLY!” you just heard from fans worldwide. Lemme explain a bit, not only have 20 new tracks been added to it but this album has been out of print for almost 20 years now! It’s now considered a “lost classic” to pretty much everyone who’s heard it. My favorite music magazine, Mojo, champions it every chance they can. Example: they listed it as one of “The 67 lost albums you must own!”. You can pre-order the new 2xCD for $23 bucks from Amazon by clicking here. I dare you to buy this amazing record RIGHT NOW. As Rollins might say… “DO IT!”

(Dennis Wilson - “River Song”)

(Dennis Wilson - “Under The Moonlight”)

 

You can also go to http://www.pacificoceanblue.net/ to hear short streams.

Released (only a month after I was born) back in August 1977, “Pacific Ocean Blue” made Dennis Wilson (who was known in some circles as the “troubled alcoholic drummer”) the first Beach Boy to release a solo record. Think that hurt a few egos?

Not only was Dennis first but he proved he could make really good records on his own as well. To me, “Pacific Ocean Blue” sounds way more like California than “Pet Sounds” or any other Beach Boy’s record does. It was produced by Dennis and his close friend & writing partner Gregg Jakobson. They co-wrote songs for The Beach Boys in the past including “Forever” (which is on every best of I’ve ever seen), “Baby Blue”, “Celebrate the News” and “San Miguel”. “Pacific Ocean Blue” shot up the U.S. charts and “peaked” at #96 (and was on them charts for 12 weeks). It went on to sell almost 300,000 copies (which out sold all those whack disco records The Beach Boys were putting out at the time) and then it went out of print for about 20 years. I’ve seen the cd on ebay for as much as $250…

Gregg Jakobson and the album’s original engineer, John Hanlon, went back into the studio this past year, brought up all the old tracks and finished what Dennis left unfinished. They are the reason this new re-issue comes with 20 previously unreleased tracks including some that were supposed to be Dennis’s follow up album which he was working on when he died. Here’s what the press release says you’re gonna get when you buy it:

The first disc is the original album newly remastered by Vic Anesini from the 1st generation master tapes, which for whatever reason were not used for the ‘91 CD, and 4 bonus tracks listed below. Disc Two, Bambu (The Caribou Sessions), is a roundup of various tracks that Dennis recorded during his term as a solo artist for Jim Guercio’s Caribou Records. Bambu was to be the follow up album to Pacific Ocean Blue but was never completed. One point I want to make about the unreleased recordings is that we’re not saying this is what Dennis intended to be the finished Bambu album but a compilation of the best tracks he recorded during the POB/Bambu/Caribou period. The truth of the matter is that Dennis recorded constantly during this period and tracks that have been labeled as Bambu tracks over the years were started before and during Pacific Ocean Blue sessions. Who knows for sure what would have ended up on the final album but we do have the roadmap for where he was going. We’ll save all of the details for the liner notes but the bottom line is if you’re a fan you won’t be disappointed. If you’re not familiar with anything I’m yapping about then prepare to become a fan of a great lost classic album by a grossly underrated artist that hopefully will be rediscovered by a whole new audience. Or to put it bluntly as my dear departed friend Nick Venet once said to me, “You either get it…or you’re an asshole”

All of the reviews I’ve seen so far have been really positive (somewhere in the ballpark 4.5 to 5 stars out of 5), but a couple reviews have been questioning why the unfinished demo of “Holy Man” has been finished with the addition of a vocal by Taylor Hawkins, the Foo Fighters drummer. Like this review here from Uncut for example. First, let me admit that when I first heard Taylor finished a Dennis song, it didn’t sound like a very good idea. Man I was wrong (which is a pretty rare thing mind you). After hearing both the version of “Holy Man” on disc 2 and the “London Version” (which will come out as a a single separately and features Brian May & Roger Taylor of Queen singing the chorus, doing back ups, Rog lays down some sick percussion and Brian rips a “face-melting” guitar solo as well) all I can say is that Dennis would be proud of how everyone came together and finished his song in a very tasteful and Dennis-like fashion.

I was curious how they finished a 30 year old Dennis Wilson song without Dennis here? And from reading all the reviews of I could tell allot of other people were also wondering about this “Holy Man” story. So to set the record straight I asked my friend Gregg Jakobson what he had to say on the subject. Here’s what he told me…

“For all of you who are wondering about this Taylor Hawkins vocal on Holy Man…

Here’s the thing. When we first started - Dennis was so inspired. He had met his first Holy Man, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. He couldn’t believe there really was such a person.

The tracks for Holy Man came easy and they were great. (inspired event) We tried and tried on the lyrics. Other people tried. They all ended in the waste basket. It was very frustrating but Dennis always said, “Gregg, don’t worry about it. It’ll happen.” And it did - but -many years later, all at the same time. Maharishi died. (He was the inspiration). Taylor was in town, a fan of Dennis’s. He’s also a family friend and interestingly enough has the same gravely, whisky, smokers voice as Den. They sound very much alike. We were in the studio mixing the Holy Man track, Taylor comes down to the studio, we hammer out a lyric, Taylor sings it. Perfect! It was meant to be. Destiny.

For Dennis, this is what music is all about. He would have been so honored that all these talented people came together to finish one of his pieces.

For Dennis, it was always about brotherhood! The brotherhood of music.”

-Gregg Jakobson

Baba Jake

I also hit up my other friend Taylor Hawkins (who is a bearded surfing drummer just like Dennis) and asked him a few things about Dennis Wilson, Holy Man and Queen. Here’s what he told me:

“I first heard Dennis’ album from Greg Jakobsen who was the father of my girlfriend at the time. The thing that struck me the most was the rawness of it and how it reminded me of John Lennon’s - “Plastic Ono Band”. I was also struck by the childlikeness of the delivery. There was no sort of airs and graces to the lyrics; they were simple and universal, and I believed them. It’s a record that when I listen to it I believe what he is saying. It grew to become one of my favorite albums of all time. Dennis is somewhat of an icon to me, because he was the only real surfer in the Beach Boys and he kind of represents the real California Beach Bum Rock and Roll vibe. It amazes me that throughout the mid to late 70s, Dennis’ music really was the only vital music being made by anyone in the band.

As far as me playing or singing on this song it really came out of me and Greg just staying in touch and they just wanted to finish the track. There is no other connection than that. I wasn’t trying to sound like or mimic Dennis, I just wanted to do him and his legacy a bit of justice.

And as for the members of Queen getting involved, I have been stalking them for years and seeing as the Beach Boys were a big harmony group, I figured why not ask Brian and Roger if they would want to lend their beautiful harmonies, which I sometimes felt were Beach Boys inspired to this loving tribute.”

-Taylor Hawkins

A documentary clip about Dennis…

In case you aren’t familiar… Dennis Wilson was (and still is) to most people, THE Beach Boy. Sure Brian was the genius and the heart and soul of the band as far as songwriting went, but he spent all of his time couped up and tripping out with his feet in a sandbox. Dennis was the one all the guys wanted to be, he was the rebellious one who didn’t really give a fuck, tended to bend and at times break the rules, the one all the girl’s swooned over, the one who drank the most, the one who drove the fastest cars and he was the only Beach Boy who actually surfed! In short, he was the cool one and I highly recommend you buy this newly available album I’ve been in love with for years now.

Al Jardine on Dennis

And I’ll now leave you with a few Dennis quotes:

“All I need is a big surfboard and a piano.”

“They say I live a fast life. Maybe I just like a fast life. I wouldn’t give it up for anything in the world. It won’t last forever, either. But the memories will.”

” I don’t know why everybody doesn’t live at the beach, on the ocean. It makes no sense to me, hanging around the dirty, ugly-as-shit city. That’s why I always loved and was proud to be a Beach Boy; I always loved the image. On the beach, you can live in bliss.”

 

 

“Pacific Ocean Blue” Legacy Edition Tracklisting:
Disc: 1
1. River Song
2. What’s Wrong
3. Moonshine
4. Friday Night
5. Dreamer
6. Thoughts Of You
7. Time
8. You And I
9. Pacific Ocean Blues
10. Farewell My Friend
11. Rainbows
12. End Of The Show
13. Tug Of Love (Previously Unreleased bonus track)
14. Only With You (Previously Unreleased bonus track)
15. Holy Man (Instrumental) (Previously Unreleased bonus track)
16. Mexico(Previously Unreleased bonus track)
Disc: 2
1. Under The Moonlight (Previously Unreleased)
2. It’s Not Too Late (Previously Unreleased)
3. School Girl (Previously Unreleased)
4. Love Remember Me (Previously Unreleased)
5. Love Surrounds Me (Previously Unreleased)
6. Wild Situation (Previously Unreleased)
7. Common (Previously Unreleased)
8. Are You Real (Previously Unreleased)
9. He’s A Bum (Previously Unreleased)
10. Cocktails(Previously Unreleased)
11. I Love You(Previously Unreleased)
12. Constant Companion(Previously Unreleased)
13. Time For Bed(Previously Unreleased)
14. Album Tag Song(Previously Unreleased)
15. All Alone
16. Piano Variations On Thoughts Of You (Previously Unreleased)
17. Holy Man (Taylor Hawkins Version Previously Unreleased bonus track)

Also check out Dennis in “Two Lane Blacktop”. A 60’s film that’s up there with “Easy Rider” and “Vanishing Point”.

“Two Lane Blacktop” trailer

Update: Read what Aquarium Drunkard had to say about the Dennis Reissue by clicking here. I love that website. Although I recommending not listening to the Bootlegs they have up if you’ve never heard “Pacific Ocean Blue” or aren’t a die hard Dennis fan… which is 99% of you reading this… even Gregg who produced the album says they’re un-listenable.